By By Dale McKee / EMG sports writer
July 7, 2004
WAYNESBORO Laurel-Jones County American League pitcher Kaleb Culpepper saved the day here Tuesday night in the 12-year-old sub-district baseball tournament.
Culpepper entered the game in the bottom of the third inning with LJC holding on to a slim 4-3 lead over Clarke County. The bases were loaded with no outs, but Culpepper pitched his team out of that jam. He then went
on to pitch three more innings and only allowed one run over his four innings on the hill that led to a 5-4 win for the local team.
Culpepper worked out of another bases-loaded no-out situation in the fourth inning and then left the tying run stranded at third in the fifth inning.
The win puts Laurel into the district tournament that begins Friday in Raleigh.
Tonight at 6, once-beaten LJC will battle unbeaten Wayne County for the sub-district title. LJC will have to win twice to claim the title. Both teams advance to Raleigh for the district.
Blake Denham, Tyler Powell, and Jonathan Johnson each had hits for Clarke County.
11-Year-Olds
Wayne County won the 11-year tournament with an 18-3 win over LJC Americans.
Stanley Farrar and Shawn Newburn pitched for the winners. Newburn, Nathaniel Crane, and Reyn Clark each slugged home runs for the WC. Farrar, Bracie Clark, Rollins Jagger, and Stephen Scarbrough added hits for the winners.
These two teams, along with the LJC Nationals, will advance to the district tournament in Magee that begins Friday.